Methods and systems for altering settings or performing an action by a user device based on detecting or authenticating a user of the user device

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for detecting or recognizing a user and intelligently altering or adjusting user device settings appropriate for the detected user. In an embodiment, a method comprises detecting, electronically by a processor, a first user interacting with a user device via a user input interface of the user device; determining, electronically by the processor, one or more characteristics associated with a primary user of the user device; determining, electronically by the processor, the first user is not the primary user based at least in part on comparing interactions of the first user with the user device and the one or more characteristics associated with the primary user of the user device; and altering one or more settings of the user device.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to detecting auser and intelligently altering user device settings.

2. Related Art

Currently, user devices such as smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc.,may provide users with the ability to perform many different actionssuch as accessing many types of content, conducting transactions such aspurchases, bidding, etc. However, some actions such as accessing certaintypes of content may be inappropriate for some users such as children orminors. In such cases, while parents may try to supervise and limit thetypes of actions children may perform on their user devices, forexample, limit the content their children can access, children may stillbe able to perform such actions. For example, children may still be ableto access inappropriate content by accident or without the parents'knowledge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an object touching a user inputinterface of a user device according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating components of a user device that maydetect a user and intelligently alter user device settings according toan embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for detecting a user andadjusting user device settings according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for detecting a user andauthenticating the user according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a system suitable for implementing one ormore embodiments of the present disclosure.

Like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustratedin one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposesof illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not forpurposes of limiting the same.

Embodiments of the disclosure and their advantages are best understoodby referring to the detailed description that follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description sets forth specific details describing certainembodiments. It should be apparent to a person of skill in the art,however, that the embodiments described herein may be practiced withoutsome or all of these specific details. The embodiments described hereinare for illustrative purposes and are not meant to be limiting. A personof skill in the art may realize other material that, although notspecifically described herein, is within the scope and spirit of thepresent disclosure.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a usermay interact with a user device via a user input interface such as atouch screen. The user device may determine certain characteristics of auser that is using the user device. In this regard, the user device maydetect when a new or different user has begun using the user device. Asa result, user device setting such as security settings may be alteredor adjusted according to the new or different detected user.

In various embodiments, the user device may detect new or differentusers by determining or analyzing certain characteristics of a new ordifferent user including, for example, determining the size of an objectsuch as a user's extremity (e.g., the user's finger) that is performingactions on the user device, pressure patterns, applications in use,facial or voice recognition, etc. For example, the user device maydetect whether the user is an adult or a child, or that a child hasbegun using a parent's user device. In that regard, small touch pointsor small area traces on the user input interface may indicate that achild is using the device while larger touch points or larger areatraces may indicate that an adult is using the device.

Once the user device detects that a new or different user is using theuser device by determining characteristics of the new or different userthat may correspond to certain types of users, for example, a smallfinger of a child versus a larger finger of an adult, then one or moresettings of the user device may be changed or adjusted automatically.That is, if the user device detects that a new or different user isusing the user device, this triggers the user device setting changes. Inthis regard, the user device settings may be changed or adjusted in away that is appropriate for the new or different user. For example,security settings may be adjusted so that content may be restricted oronly certain content may be displayed on the user device if it isdetermined that a child is using the user device. Or, in someembodiments, different authentication may be required depending on thedetected user. For example, one result of a change of a security settingmay be that the user needs to be re-authenticated before certain actionsare performed such as conducting transactions, e.g., before purchasescan be made.

According to one or more embodiments, an application may be downloadedon a user device. The application, as described above, may detect a newor different user of the user device, and as a result, intelligentlyalter or adjust settings according to the user using the user device.Results of a setting adjustment may include, for example, adjusting thesettings in a different way if the user device detects that a user otherthan a primary user (e.g., the owner of the user device) such as a childhas begun using the user device, re-authenticating the user beforeperforming certain actions on the user device, or any other appropriatesetting changes depending on the detected user. The application may beprovided by a remote location server such as a payment provider server,e.g., PayPal®, Inc., or eBay®, Inc. of San Jose, Calif., USA. In otherembodiments, the application may be provided by a merchant server, afinancial institution server, or any other appropriate entity server.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes ofillustrating embodiments of the present disclosure only, and not forpurposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating anobject touching a user input interface of a user device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a user device 102 that includes a user inputinterface 106 such as a touch sensitive screen, which a user may use tointeract with user device 102. As illustrated in the embodiment of FIG.1, the user may interact with user device 102 by contacting (e.g.,touching, pressing, pinching, tapping, swiping, etc.) a portion or anarea 108 of user input interface 106 with an object 104 such as afinger. In various embodiments, object 104 may be a hand, differentfingers, another extremity of the user, or any other appropriate objectassociated with the user.

In one or more embodiments, user device 102 may include a user capturingcomponent 112, for example, a front-facing camera, an audio or voicerecognition device, a gesture recognition component, or any other devicethat may aid in user recognition or identification. User capturingcomponent 112 may capture user identification data such as an image,voice, gestures, etc. of a user that is using user device 102. In someembodiments, user gestures captured by capturing component 112 may beassociated with a user's specific key, password, secret code etc. thatis only known or is specific to the user. The user device 102 may thenprocess and use the user identification data according to one or moreembodiments as will be described herein.

User device 102 may be implemented using any appropriate combination ofhardware and/or software configured for wired and/or wirelesscommunication over a network. For example, in one embodiment, userdevice 102 may be implemented as a mobile device of a user incommunication with a network such as the Internet or another network. Inother embodiments, user device 102 may be implemented as a tablet, apersonal computer, a wireless telephone, a smart phone, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a key fob, a smart card, a notebook computer, agame console, a digital video recorder (DVR), and/or other types ofcomputing devices or network devices. Furthermore, user device 102 maybe enabled for NFC, Bluetooth, online, infrared communications and/orother types of communications.

User device 102 may include one or more processors coupled to one ormore memories configured to process downloading, installing and/orrunning of applications from one or more remote location servers. Userdevice 102 may include various applications as may be desired inparticular embodiments to provide desired features to user device 102.For example, in various embodiments, applications may include securityapplications for implementing client-side security features,programmatic client applications for interfacing with appropriateapplication programming interfaces (APIs) over a network, or other typesof applications.

User device 102 may further include one or more user identifiers, whichmay be implemented, for example, as operating system registry entries,cookies associated with a browser application, identifiers associatedwith hardware of user device 102, or other appropriate identifiers. Inone embodiment, a user identifier may be used by a remote locationserver to associate user device 102 (or correspondingly a user) with aparticular account maintained by the remote location server.

User device 102 may include one or more processors, memories, and otherappropriate components for executing instructions such as program codeand/or data stored on one or more computer readable mediums to implementthe various applications, data, and methods described herein. Forexample, such instructions may be stored in one or more computerreadable mediums such as memories or data storage devices internaland/or external to various components of the system, and/or accessibleover a network, which may be implemented as a single network or acombination of multiple networks. For example, in various embodiments, anetwork may include the Internet or one or more intranets, landlinenetworks, wireless networks, and/or other appropriate types of networks.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a diagram illustrates components of a userdevice that may detect a user and intelligently alter user devicesettings according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The userdevice components illustrated in FIG. 2 may be included in user device102 illustrated in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, an object 104 such as a fingertip of a usermay be used to interact with a user device 102, for example, bycontacting or touching a portion or an area 108 of a user inputinterface 106 such as a touch screen of user device 102. User device 102may include various components including a sensor component 214, aprocessor 216 and an output component 218.

Sensor component 214 may sense a signal generated in response to aninput such as a contact (i.e., pressing, touching, pinching, tapping,swiping, etc.) by object 104 on user input interface 106. For example,the device may determine an object's size, e.g., a fingertip size thatcorresponds to contact area 108, to figure out whether an adult (i.e.,large-fingered user) or a child (i.e., small-fingered user) is usinguser device 102. In one example, contact area 108 may have a dimension“A” measured across the contact area, which correlates to the object'ssize at the point or area of contact. In this case, a small dimension“A”, for example, less than about a half an inch, may indicate that theobject is small and may belong to a child. A larger dimension “A”, forexample, half an inch or larger, may indicate that the object may belongto an adult.

In an embodiment, sensor component 214 may include a capacitive sensor.Capacitive sensors and their APIs may generally all express relativecapacitance. In that regard, processor 216 may map the relativecapacitance to a contact (e.g. pressure) sensed on user input interface106. For example, the more pressure sensed may be equivalent to a biggercontact patch (e.g., corresponding to contact area 108). Generally,capacitive sensors work by directly measuring capacitance between adriven voltage on or near a surface user input interface 106 (e.g., onor near the surface of a touch screen) and the contacting object (e.g. auser's finger). Assuming that objects, for example fingers, havebasically the same composition and are about the same distance from thesensor (i.e., touching the screen), the amount of capacitance measuredwill be proportional to a surface area of the portion of the object(e.g., finger) that is contacting the user input interface (e.g. thetouch screen).

In one or more embodiments, it may be possible for modern touch sensorsto sense more information about the capacitance beyond just the absenceor presence of an object and/or the amount of capacitance. For example,in certain systems such as Android® systems, applications are allowed toread information from touch events including not just a two dimensional(x, y) location of the touch, but also the length of the major and minoraxes of an ellipse circumscribing the sensed touch event as well assynthesized information such as “pressure” (not actually pressure inthis case, but rather a floating point value that varies with the totalarea of a sensed touch event). By binning and analyzing differentcontacts or gestures (e.g., single tap vs. horizontal swipe vs. verticalswipe vs. pinch), it may be possible to compare the touch size profileof a known user to a current user and decide whether they are consistentor not. In embodiments herein, model generation and runtime analysis oftouch data or information may be done using well-known and suitablemachine learning and pattern-matching techniques such as neuralnetworks. An output component 218 may output a measurement correspondingto the contact sensed (e.g. pressure), or, in other embodiments, to aregion, an area, or a radius of a circle or simply an absolutecapacitance measurement.

In another embodiment, sensor component 214 may include one or morepressure sensors. Data from the pressure sensors may be used in ananalysis, for example by processor 216, to determine whether a new useris operating the user device. In that regard, one user's pattern ofpressure may be distinct from another user's pattern of pressure, forexample, in the same way that different users may use different penpressure when writing. Or, in another example, a child may exert lesspressure than an adult when interacting via the user input interface.

While any individual contact on user input interface 106 such aspressure, touch, pinch, tap or swipe by an object may be harder orgentler (and thus produce a larger or smaller contact patch), accordingto embodiments herein, the user device may run background processes tolook for overall patterns to determine contact patch patterninformation, for example, to determine average and median contact patchsizes, the largest contact patch, what the overall patterns look like ina multi-touch gesture versus a single finger gesture, etc.

In embodiments where an overall pattern shifts too far, especially, forexample after a screen is unlocked, after a period of non-use, etc., aprocessor such as processor 216 may use this pattern shift as an inputto decide whether to require a more rigorous identification check orauthentication of the user before allowing certain user actions to takeplace such as purchases, proceeding with a program, or using certainfeatures.

As such, a user device according to one or more embodiments herein mayrun background or continuous authentication of a user. Advantageously, africtionless service may be provided wherein users may not have toconstantly be asked for identification or authentication informationsuch as login data, or entering a PIN. Running background authenticationof a user by looking for overall patterns that may indicate that theuser has not changed, may result in the user not being asked foridentification or authentication information such as a password.

In an example where a user device may be used by a parent or a child,the parent may tag individual applications as being for the child's use.

Referring back to FIG. 1, user device 102 may include a user capturingcomponent 112. User capturing component 112 may be a camera, an audio orvoice recognition device, a gesture recognition device, etc. Datacaptured by user capturing component 112 may be used to recognize oridentify a user using the user device. Such data may be processed byprocessor 216 (in addition to an input sensed by sensor 214) to detectthe user. For example, if the user device includes a front-facingcamera, it may be used to recognize a child or an adult or anyparticular user such as the owner of the user device.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a flow diagram illustrates a method fordetecting a user and adjusting user device settings according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. The method of FIG. 3 may beimplemented by the user device illustrated in FIG. 1 or 2 according toone or more embodiments.

In block 302, a user interacting via a user input interface with a userdevice to perform an action may be detected by determining one or morecharacteristics associated with the user. In that regard, a user may berecognized or identified, for example, to be a child, an adult or aspecific user such as the owner of the user device. Characteristicsassociated with the user interacting with the user device may bedetermined, including for example, the size of a fingertip of the usercontacting the user input interface (e.g., a touch sensitive screen).Such characteristics may indicate the identity of the user, for example,a small fingertip size (e.g., less than about half an inch across), alight pressure on the touch screen, etc. may indicate that the user is achild. A larger fingertip size (e.g., more than about half an inch), astronger pressure on the touch screen, etc. may indicate that the useris an adult.

In various embodiments, the characteristics associated with the user maybe complemented or confirmed by data captured by a user capturingcomponent of the user device, for example a front-facing camera, a voicerecognition device, a gesture recognition device, etc. In this regard,in addition to the user device recognizing a user that is performing anaction or interacting via a user input interface (e.g., by determining asize of a user's extremity), the user device may also complement orconfirm the identity of a user by recognizing an image of the user, thevoice of the user, a gesture associated or only known to a particularuser, etc.

In block 304, the system or application may determine whether a new ordifferent user has been detected. As described above according to one ormore embodiments, capacitance sensors, resistance sensors, pressuresensors, or any other appropriate type of sensors may sense and comparesensor information associated with particular users. For example,overall patterns for one user may be different than overall patterns foranother user. In one instance, different users may have differentcontact patch sizes compared to average and median contact patch sizes(e.g., a first user may have a large contact patch while a new ordifferent user may have a small contact patch). In another instance,different users may use different contact patterns, for example, oneuser may normally use multi-fingers on a contact surface (i.e., userinput interface) versus another user may normally use a single finger onthe contact surface. In this regard, a comparison of sensor data mayoccur when a shift in overall patterns occur, for example, after a userdevice restart, after a screen lockout, after a change of application,upon capturing a change of a gesture or an image, after a certain periodof time or inactivity (e.g., after 30 minutes, after an hour, etc.), orperiodically at certain time intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes, everyhour, etc.).

In block 306, if a new or different user has not been detected, then theuser may continue to perform the action on the user device.

In block 308, if a new of different user has been detected, then one ormore settings of the user device may be altered according to the new ordifferent detected user. For example, security settings may be alteredor adjusted depending on who is using the user device. In one instancewhere the new or different detected user is a child using a parent'suser device, the user device settings may be adjusted so that onlyappropriate content is presented, e.g., only “G”-rated content. Inanother instance where a new or different user is detected, securitysettings may be changed such that the new user needs to re-authenticatebefore transactions such as purchases may be made. In an example wherethe same user device may be used by a parent or a child, the parent maytag individual applications as being for the child's use.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram illustrates a method forauthenticating a user according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The method of FIG. 4 may be implemented by the user deviceillustrated in FIG. 1 or 2 according to one or more embodiments. Also,in various embodiments, the method of FIG. 4 may be performed after anew or different user has been detected as described above with respectto the embodiment of FIG. 3.

In block 402, as described above according to one or more embodiments, anew or different user interacting via a user input interface with a userdevice may be detected by determining one or more characteristicsassociated with the user. Upon detecting that a new or different user isusing the user device, user device settings may be changed according tothe detected user. For example, one result may be a security changewherein the new or different user may need to be authenticated beforeperforming certain actions.

In block 404, the user device (for example by processor 216 illustratedin the embodiment of FIG. 2) may determine whether the detected user isallowed to perform an action. A user of a user device may wish toperform one or more different actions as normally conducted on userdevices including, for example, accessing certain media (e.g., websites,printed publications, TV shows, movies, etc.), playing a video game,accessing an email account, conducting transactions such as purchases,bidding, etc.

Users that may be allowed to perform an action may be determined basedon various factors, for example, the user device may restrict thepresentation of certain mature or otherwise inappropriate content to auser that is detected to be a child. In another example, the user devicemay not allow a user using the user device that is detected to be achild or a user other than the owner of the user device to conducttransactions such as bidding, making purchases (in some examples perhapsover a certain amount, e.g., above $10, $20, etc.), or the like.

In block 406, if the detected user is not allowed to perform an action,then the action is not performed. For example, a user that is detectedto be a child may not be allowed to view certain content, make purchasesover $20, etc.

In block 408, if the detected user is allowed to perform an action, thedetected user is authenticated. And in block 410, the action isperformed.

In various embodiments, a detected user that is authenticated may notneed to continuously enter identifier data such as a password or PINwhen an action is performed. Instead, the user may be automaticallyauthenticated as the process may repeat as indicated by the dotted arrowof FIG. 4. In some embodiments, automatic authentication of a detecteduser may be set to be performed at regular time periods, for example,every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.

In an example where the action performed includes streaming content to auser that is detected to be an adult, the system may be set toautomatically authenticate the detected user to continue performing theaction without the user having to enter identifier data. In anotherexample where the action performed includes streaming content to a userthat is detected to be an adult, but then at the next authenticationperiod the user is detected to be a child for whom the streaming contentmay be inappropriate, the action may be automatically stopped. Infurther embodiments, different authentication may be required dependingon the detected user. For example, one detected user may beauthenticated and allowed to perform certain actions such as makingpurchases over a certain amount (e.g., over $500), while anotherdetected user (adult or child) may be required to be authenticated (e.g.recognized or required to enter identifier data) to make purchases overa certain amount, or may even be barred from making purchases at all.

A specific object used by a user may have specific contactcharacteristics on a user input interface, for example, pressure, touch,tap or swipe by the object may be harder or gentler (and thus produce alarger or smaller contact patch). In embodiments herein, the user devicemay run background processes to look for overall patterns to determinecontact patch pattern information, for example, to determine average andmedian contact patch sizes, the largest contact patch, what the overallpatterns look like in a multi-touch gesture versus a single fingergesture, etc.

In embodiments where an overall pattern shifts too far, especially, forexample after a screen is unlocked, after a period of non-use, etc., aprocessor may use this pattern shift as an input to decide whether torequire a more rigorous identification check or authentication of theuser before allowing certain user actions to take place such aspurchases, proceeding with a program, or using certain features.Advantageously, the user device may process or run background orcontinuous authentication of a user based on the overall patterns.

In various embodiments, the system may detect a “different” user evenwhen that same user is the one who is first detected using the device inthe session. That is, the system may detect that a user that firststarted using the user device is not the primary user (e.g., the ownerof the user device) and alter the user device settings accordingly. Forexample, a child may have accessed a parent's device, such as byentering the device lock code, or simply through using an unprotected(e.g., no lock screen or passcode) device. In that case, the system maydetermine, such as described above, that the user is not the oneassociated with or the primary user of the device or that the user isonly limited to certain content as specified by the primary device user.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a block diagram of a system 500 is illustratedsuitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure,including user device 102 and a remote location server or device. System500, such as part of a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet, a personalcomputer and/or a network server, includes a bus 502 or othercommunication mechanism for communicating information, whichinterconnects subsystems and components, including one or more of aprocessing component 504 (e.g., processor, microcontroller, digitalsignal processor (DSP), etc.), a system memory component 506 (e.g.,RAM), a static storage component 508 (e.g., ROM), a network interfacecomponent 512, a display component 514 (or alternatively, an interfaceto an external display), an input component 516 (e.g., keypad, keyboard,touchpad, voice input, etc.), and a cursor control component 518 (e.g.,a mouse pad).

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, system 500performs specific operations by processor 504 executing one or moresequences of one or more instructions contained in system memorycomponent 506. Such instructions may be read into system memorycomponent 506 from another computer readable medium, such as staticstorage component 508. These may include instructions to detect users ofuser devices, authenticate users and/or alter or adjust settings,process financial transactions, make payments, etc. In otherembodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or incombination with software instructions for implementation of one or moreembodiments of the disclosure.

Logic may be encoded in a computer readable medium, which may refer toany medium that participates in providing instructions to processor 504for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but notlimited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.In various implementations, volatile media includes dynamic memory, suchas system memory component 506, and transmission media includes coaxialcables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including wires that comprise bus502. Memory may be used to store visual representations of the differentoptions for searching, auto-synchronizing, making payments or conductingfinancial transactions. In one example, transmission media may take theform of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radiowave and infrared data communications. Some common forms of computerreadable media include, for example, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, anyother memory chip or cartridge, carrier wave, or any other medium fromwhich a computer is adapted to read.

In various embodiments of the disclosure, execution of instructionsequences to practice the disclosure may be performed by system 500. Invarious other embodiments, a plurality of systems 500 coupled bycommunication link 520 (e.g., network 160 of FIG. 1, LAN, WLAN, PTSN, orvarious other wired or wireless networks) may perform instructionsequences to practice the disclosure in coordination with one another.Computer system 500 may transmit and receive messages, data, informationand instructions, including one or more programs (i.e., applicationcode) through communication link 520 and communication interface 512.Received program code may be executed by processor 504 as receivedand/or stored in disk drive component 510 or some other non-volatilestorage component for execution.

In view of the present disclosure, it will be appreciated that variousmethods and systems have been described according to one or moreembodiments for detecting a user using a user device and intelligentlyaltering user device settings.

Although various components and steps have been described herein asbeing associated with user device 102 of FIGS. 1 and 2, it iscontemplated that the various aspects of such device illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 may be distributed among a plurality of servers, devices,and/or other entities.

Where applicable, various embodiments provided by the present disclosuremay be implemented using hardware, software, or combinations of hardwareand software. Also where applicable, the various hardware componentsand/or software components set forth herein may be combined intocomposite components comprising software, hardware, and/or both withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present disclosure. Where applicable,the various hardware components and/or software components set forthherein may be separated into sub-components comprising software,hardware, or both without departing from the spirit of the presentdisclosure. In addition, where applicable, it is contemplated thatsoftware components may be implemented as hardware components, andvice-versa.

Software in accordance with the present disclosure, such as program codeand/or data, may be stored on one or more computer readable mediums. Itis also contemplated that software identified herein may be implementedusing one or more general purpose or specific purpose computers and/orcomputer systems, networked and/or otherwise. Where applicable, theordering of various steps described herein may be changed, combined intocomposite steps, and/or separated into sub-steps to provide featuresdescribed herein.

The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present disclosureto the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. It iscontemplated that various alternate embodiments and/or modifications tothe present disclosure, whether explicitly described or implied herein,are possible in light of the disclosure. For example, although certainuser actions have been described according to one or more embodiments,it should be understood that the present disclosure may also apply toother user actions where requests for information, requests for access,or requests to perform certain transactions may be involved.

Having thus described embodiments of the disclosure, persons of ordinaryskill in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form anddetail without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus thedisclosure is limited only by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a non-transitory memory; andone or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory andconfigured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to causethe system to perform operations comprising: in response to a finger ofa first user touching a display area of a touchscreen of a user deviceat a first time while the first user is using the user device in anunlocked state, receiving a first capacitive sensor signal generated bya capacitive sensor of the touchscreen and a first pressure sensorsignal generated by a pressure sensor of the touchscreen; in response tothe receiving of the first capacitive sensor signal, determining a firstfingertip contact size pattern associated with the finger of the firstuser; in response to the receiving of the first pressure sensor signal,determining a first pressure pattern associated with the finger of thefirst user; in response to a finger of a second user touching thedisplay area of the touchscreen of the user device at a second timewhile the second user is using the user device in the unlocked state,receiving a second capacitive sensor signal generated by the capacitivesensor of the touchscreen and a second pressure sensor signal generatedby the pressure sensor of the touchscreen; in response to the receivingof the second capacitive sensor signal as a result of the second usertouching the display area of the touchscreen, determining a secondfingertip contact size pattern associated with the finger of the seconduser; in response to the receiving of the second pressure sensor signal,determining a second pressure pattern associated with the finger of thesecond user; detecting a pattern shift from the first fingertip contactsize pattern and the first pressure pattern at the first time to thesecond fingertip contact size pattern and the second pressure pattern atthe second time; and in response to the detecting, altering one or moresettings of the user device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theoperations further comprise: determining whether the second user is achild by analyzing the second fingertip contact size pattern and thesecond pressure pattern associated with the finger of the second user,wherein the altering is performed automatically in response todetermining the second user is a child.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the detecting of the pattern shift is performed as a backgroundprocess.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the altering of the one ormore settings comprises restricting access to one or more applicationsor one or more types of content.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein thealtering of the one or more settings comprises restricting the seconduser from making purchases using the user device.
 6. The system of claim1, wherein the operations further comprise: comparing the secondfingertip contact size pattern and the second pressure patternassociated with the finger of the second user with a stored fingertipcontact size pattern and a stored pressure pattern associated with afinger of a primary user; and determining whether the second user is theprimary user based on the comparing, wherein the altering is performedautomatically in response to determining the second user is not theprimary user.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations furthercomprise: in response to the finger of the second user touching thedisplay area of the touchscreen of the user device, receiving an imageof the second user captured by a front-facing camera of the user device,wherein the altering of the one or more settings is based, at least inpart, on the image of the second user.
 8. A method comprising: inresponse to a finger of a first user contacting a display area of atouchscreen of a user device at a first time while the first user isinteracting with the user device in an unlocked state, receiving, by oneor more processors, a first capacitive sensor signal generated by acapacitive sensor of the touchscreen and a first pressure sensor signalgenerated by a pressure sensor of the touchscreen; in response to thereceiving of the first capacitive sensor signal, determining, by the oneor more processors, a first fingertip contact size associated with thefinger of the first user; in response to the receiving of the firstpressure sensor signal, determining, by the one or more processors, afirst pressure associated with the finger of the first user; in responseto a finger of a second user contacting the display area of thetouchscreen of the user device at a second time while the second user isinteracting with the user device in the unlocked state, receiving, bythe one or more processors, a second capacitive sensor signal generatedby the capacitive sensor of the touchscreen and a second pressure sensorsignal generated by the pressure sensor of the touchscreen; in responseto the receiving of the second capacitive sensor signal as a result ofthe second user contacting the display area of the touchscreen,determining, by the one or more processors, a second fingertip contactsize associated with the finger of the second user; in response to thereceiving of the second pressure sensor signal, determining, by the oneor more processors, a second pressure associated with the finger of thesecond user; detecting, by the one or more processors, a shift from thefirst fingertip contact size and the first pressure at the first time tothe second fingertip contact size and the second pressure at the secondtime; and altering one or more settings of the user device based on thedetecting.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining, bythe one or more processors, whether the second user is a child byanalyzing the second fingertip contact size and the second pressureassociated with the finger of the second user, wherein the altering isperformed automatically in response to determining the second user is achild.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the detecting of the shift isperformed as a background process.
 11. The method of claim 8, whereinthe altering of the one or more settings comprises restricting access toone or more applications or one or more types of content.
 12. The methodof claim 8, wherein the altering of the one or more settings comprisesrestricting the second user from making purchases using the user device.13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: accessing, by the one ormore processors, a fingertip contact size and a pressure associated witha finger of a primary user of the user device stored in a memory;comparing, by the one or more processors, the second fingertip contactsize and the second pressure associated with the finger of the seconduser with the stored fingertip contact size and the stored pressureassociated with the finger of the primary user; and determining, by theone or more processors, whether the second user is the primary userbased on the comparing, wherein the altering is performed automaticallyin response to determining the second user is not the primary user. 14.The method of claim 8, further comprising: in response to the finger ofthe second user contacting the display area of the touchscreen of theuser device, receiving, electronically by the one or more processors, animage of the second user captured by a front-facing camera of the userdevice, wherein the altering of the one or more settings is furtherbased on the image of the second user.
 15. A non-transitorymachine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readableinstructions executable to cause a machine to perform operationscomprising: in response to a finger of a first user contacting a displayarea of a touchscreen of a user device at a first time while the firstuser is using the user device in an unlocked state, receiving firstcapacitive sensor data generated by a capacitive sensor of thetouchscreen and first pressure sensor data generated by a pressuresensor of the touchscreen; in response to the receiving of the firstcapacitive sensor data, determining a first fingertip contact patternassociated with the finger of the first user; in response to thereceiving of the first pressure sensor data, determining a firstpressure pattern associated with the finger of the first user; inresponse to a finger of a second user contacting the display area of thetouchscreen of the user device at a second time while the second user isusing the user device in the unlocked state, receiving second capacitivesensor data generated by the capacitive sensor of the touchscreen andsecond pressure sensor data generated by the pressure sensor of thetouchscreen; in response to the receiving of the second capacitivesensor data as a result of the second user contacting the display areaof the touchscreen, determining a second fingertip contact patternassociated with the finger of the second user; in response to thereceiving of the second pressure sensor data, determining a secondpressure pattern associated with the finger of the second user;detecting a change in pattern from the first fingertip contact patternand the first pressure pattern at the first time to the second fingertipcontact pattern and the second pressure pattern at the second time; andaltering one or more settings of the user device based on the detecting.16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein theoperations further comprise: determining whether the second user is achild by analyzing the second fingertip contact pattern and the secondpressure pattern associated with the finger of the second user, whereinthe altering is performed automatically in response to determining thesecond user is a child.
 17. The non-transitory machine-readable mediumof claim 15, wherein the detecting of the pattern shift is performedcontinuously or at regular time intervals as a background process. 18.The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein thealtering of the one or more settings comprises restricting access to oneor more applications or one or more types of content.
 19. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the alteringof the one or more settings comprises restricting the second user frommaking purchases using the user device.
 20. The non-transitorymachine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations furthercomprise: accessing a fingertip contact pattern and a pressure patternassociated with a finger of a primary user of the user device stored ina memory; comparing the second fingertip contact pattern and the secondpressure pattern associated with the finger of the second user with thestored fingertip contact pattern and the stored pressure patternassociated with the finger of the primary user; and determining whetherthe second user is the primary user based on the comparing, wherein thealtering is performed automatically in response to determining thesecond user is not the primary user.